Divine Intervention
by Jakespeed207
Summary: During Harry Potter's third year quidditch game against Hufflepuff in the unrelenting rain, the altercation with the Dementors lead him to meet with something he never actually thought existed... a deity. Just what's going on? Lord Voldemort better prepare himself to deal with a vassal of the gods! Harry x Multi. Not much bashing. M because of some Gore and Lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**Here's a random idea that came to me about three days ago. It just... happened. You tell me what you think.**

**Pro-tip: Listen to the song "Ocean Princess" by Two Steps from Hell for most of this.**

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

In Scotland, near a large castle, was a stadium filled to the brim with teenagers yelling and cheering for several figures that were zooming around the air in broomsticks. It was obviously a sporting event, as seven of these figures were sporting red and gold colours, while the other seven were sporting dark brown and yellow colours. However, with the unrelenting rain that was falling all around the stadium, you'd be hard pressed to notice this right away.

If you haven't figured it out yet, the place is the Hogwarts quidditch pitch, and it's the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff quidditch game.

It's also the day where the life of a certain boy-who-lived would change drastically.

Harry Potter, also known as the Chosen One or the Boy-Who-Hates-The-Moniker-The-Masses-Have-Given-Him, was currently flying around the stadium in slow circles, his mouth bared in a snarl as he focused as hard as he could, trying to find the game-winning Golden Snitch through the unrelenting falling piss that was the rain.

He miraculously caught sight of it a few moments later. He also caught the not so miraculous sign of the Hufflepuff Seeker Cedric Diggory already chasing it.

With the determination that always came with the chase running through his veins, Harry sped off after the guy and the small flying ball. They had just done a few turns following the bloody thing when it decided to suddenly start flying directly up, in the direction of the thunderous clouds. Harry and Cedric, being the competitive types, immediately chased after it, Cedric being a few feet ahead of Harry.

From Harry's point of view, he could see Cedric get closer and closer to the snitch, making him spur himself forward in an attempt to get closer. However, just as Cedric's hand was about to close over the snitch, Harry watched in shock as a bolt of static from the clouds around them flashed and attached itself to Cedric's hand, traveling down his arm and to his body in hardly a second. Cedric froze for a moment before suddenly jerking and falling back, directly to the ground. Harry twisted around him and jerked to a stop, floating nearly a hundred feet above the ground and watching as Cedric fell for a short time before he was caught by Hufflepuff's Beaters, who proceeded to bring him to the ground softly.

As if to remind him that he was still in the game, the snitch flew in front of Harry's face for a second before flying away before Harry could grab it. With renewed determination, Harry turned his broomstick around and chased after it, going farther and farther up until he was several hundred feet above the arena. He was approaching the snitch and had almost closed his hand around it when what appeared to be a piece of ice struck his cheek, making him cover it by reflex. The snitch took advantage of the movement and dove between two clouds, causing Harry to lose sight of it. Harry, however, had other things to worry about.

For the moment he looked up, he had noticed that he was surrounded by several Dementors.

Fear clawed at Harry's heart as the cold feeling of despair that normally came with Dementors hit him. One Dementor dashed at rapid speeds towards Harry, who nimbly dodged and flew away, trying to get some distance between himself and the monsters.

It was all for naught.

Two Dementors noticed the movement and dashed around him, coming up to him as soon as he looked forward again. Before he could react, both of the hooded demons opened their 'mouths', and in that instant, Harry felt all energy leave him, all of his strength wane, and his vision blur.

He was dimly aware of a woman's scream reverberating through his head before he felt his hands let go of his broomstick and his vision went black.

As soon as Harry passed out, his grip on the Nimbus 2000 loosened, making him fall to the side and subsequently off the broom, on a crash course for the ground several hundred feet below.

Harry's form twisted and turned as he fell, and it wasn't until he was only a hundred feet from forming a very bloody crater that some people in the stands noticed his falling form. The thundering sky was rent by several screams of 'HARRY!', the most prominent being from Hermione Granger and the three Gryffindor Chasers: Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell.

Of course, the screams also drew the attention of the professors, who immediately noticed the falling form of Harry Potter. Albus Dumbledore immediately stood, raising a hand in order to stop Harry's momentum or at least slow him down, but before he could, Harry was partially surrounded by a white aura before a bright light flashed from his body, blinding everyone in the stands for a few moments.

**_Meanwhile, in a place not defined by earthly time..._**

Harry's vision was filled with inky darkness for a short while, but it eventually became bright again. Harry had to close his eyes for a bit as his sight was filled by white, and when he could finally open them again without difficulty, he found himself slack jawed.

He was currently standing in what appeared to be a large field, one full of tall grass that reached up to his waist. He idly ran his hands over the blades as he looked at the tall trees to the distance and at the blue sky that was dotted with a few white clouds above him.

"So this is what it's like to be dead, is it?" Harry mused out loud, "Well, it's actually not too bad. I sure hope that this is what my parents saw when Voldemort got to them."

Harry hadn't expected to get a response, so he was severely startled when he heard soft, tinkling laughter behind him. He immediately turned, hand going to his wand but not finding it there. He was about to bring his fists up when he finally processed who was in front of him.

It was a woman of average height, perhaps only a few inches taller than him, despite the fact that he was still slightly short for his age. Her facial features were sharp and regal, yet held a soft quality to them, making it appear almost motherly in nature. Her eyes were a teal colour, and the pupil was in the shape of a small slit, similar to a feline's eye, but again, of a softer nature. Her hair seemed to be both black and blonde, both colours intermingling all over. She was wearing a simple, all white dress, which reached down to her ankles. The dress was slightly see-through, and it showed that she was wearing short white pants and a simple plain t-shirt underneath. She was barefoot as well.

And when she spoke, it was with a soft, regal voice that spoke of power yet had a friendly nature to it.

"Harry Potter, it is good to finally meet you. To answer your previous question, this is not what it is like to be dead, as you are not. And yes, your parents did stop by here first before their souls were sent on their way."

Harry could only stare at the woman that had appeared behind him. Just from the aura that this woman seemed to be giving, he knew this was not someone you would want to cross.

"Pardon me," Harry said politely, "But who are you?"

The woman sighed and looked to the sky before responding, "I have gone by many names Harry. I have been known as Kami, Palutena, Aphrodite, Hades, and many other monikers. But in truth, I am merely a goddess. The goddess of life and death."

Harry's eyes widened at the woman's explanation. He couldn't wrap his head around it. This woman was a goddess? One of life and death? But then...

"Are you here to send me to the afterlife, or to wherever it is that souls are sent after the body dies?" Harry said morosely, his head hung. "Will I be able to spend some time with my parents, at least?"

He was surprised when a soft hand grabbed his chin and lifted his eyes to those of the goddess, who only smiled at him softly. "Silly boy, did you not hear me when I spoke earlier? You are not dead, Harry."

"But... the Dementors... I remember letting go of my broomstick, and falling... and I was very high up. For all that people say about me, I am not invincible, and that fall would most definitely kill me."

The goddess giggled, a sound that Harry came to enjoy very much. "While that is true, the reason you are not dead is because your consciousness is currently here. This is what you could think of as the King's Cross station to Heaven and Hell. The soul stops here and is given a path by me, depending on their thoughts, actions, and motives during their life. However, in the odd cases such as yours, a soul can take a third kind of path: the path back to their body."

The goddess waved her hand to the side. What appeared to be a small pool of water gathered in the air for a moment before it blackened and became an image... of Harry falling from his broomstick and down several hundred feet.

"This is the point that your body is in now, as the time has come for you to take up the mantle you were given as a child."

Harry gulped. "And what mantle would that be?"

The goddess smiled at him and said, "Why, of the Destroyer of Darkness, of course."

At Harry's slightly incredulous and confused look, she elaborated, "Sometimes, the gods and goddesses, especially me, need a vassal in the mortal realm. For me, the point has come in which I need one to fight the encroaching darkness that is Voldemort. When you were born, Harry, you had extraordinary potential. And when you were marked by Tom Riddle, I knew that you would one day need to face the man again. Yes, Harry, he is still alive, though barely. He has taken steps to cheat death, creating magical objects which house parts of his soul, which he has shattered by committing so many murders over the years. As my vassal, an archangel under me, so to speak, you would be tasked with destroying these soul fragments and finally bringing to me the man that had brought many evils upon Britain, and possibly the world if he were given the chance. He has tampered with that which should never be tampered with, and his experiments have gone too far."

Harry sat down and crossed his legs, digesting the story and proposition that the goddess had given him. He was meant to destroy Voldemort and the pieces of his soul that were scattered goddess-knows-where? But he couldn't! He was just a teenager! How could he possibly match the skill, strength, and knowledge of a man almost fifty years older than him and come out as the victor when he couldn't protect himself from a single Dementor?

That's when he realized that the question wasn't 'How could he...' but 'Why should he...' and the latter was immediately answered when several faces flashed in front of his eyes: the Weasleys, Hagrid, Oliver, Alicia, Angelina, Katie, the professors of Hogwarts, and many more, until it stopped at one face... Hermione's.

_'I do it for them... So that they could have a brighter future, I will walk through a dozen curses! If I have to tear down Voldemort, I will! I don't do this for me... I do it for my friends... nay... I do it for all of my loved ones!'_

The goddess watched Harry's face as it went through several emotions, from shock, to thoughtfulness, to despair, back to thoughtfulness, and then to determination. She smiled as he stood up from his position then immediately went down on one knee and bowed his head, saying, "I will become your vassal, my goddess. I will do anything necessary to help my friends and bring justice to the monster who murdered my parents and countless other innocents for the sake of evil!"

The goddess beamed and said, "Excellent, Harry. And please, stand. You are not only my vassal, but my friend and partner." When Harry stood with a smile, she continued, "The road ahead of you will be tough, Harry, but always remember to keep your loved ones close to you. Do not push them away merely because you believe that they will be Voldemort's target. Instead, do your best to make sure that if he does try to target them, he will regret it."

Harry nodded and asked, "What must I do now?"

"Now, Harry, you shall be sent back to your body, which is incidentally still skydiving. Do not worry, as I will impart several gifts to you as my vassal to help you in the road to conquer the man known as Voldemort. However, many will only come at a later time, when I believe you are ready to wield them. Is this agreeable to you?"

Harry nodded with a content smile, and with a reciprocated smile, a kiss on the cheek, and a whisper of four names, Harry's vision was once again filled with darkness...

**_Back with Harry's falling body..._**

Harry's eyes snapped open when he felt the wind coursing around his body as he fell. He noted that he was about a hundred feet from slamming into certain death, and the ground was approaching quickly.

Instinctively, he reached inside him for the power he now knew he could wield, and let it out with a powerful yell.

A bright flash of light covered his body, blinding almost everyone in the stands, as Harry felt a strange change happen to his body as something appeared on his back and ripped through his quidditch robes like they was made of wrapping paper. It felt like another body part of him had suddenly sprouted from his body. He also felt his energy increase, to the point where he felt several times stronger than he had at his highest point this entire year.

Finally, the light began receding, allowing the Hogwarts students and staff to look once again. The sight they came to was... jaw dropping, to say the least.

Harry Potter was no longer falling. He wasn't even unconscious anymore. He was now floating in the exact middle of the quidditch pitch, courtesy of the large, white wings that had sprouted from his back. Those with better eyesight could see that Harry's eyes had changed from their vivid green to a sky blue colour, and the sight of the owner had sharpened considerably, becoming a strong and calculative stare. His body had also changed, becoming stronger, more muscular, and leaner, with his height increasing as his body was pushed to its peak for a thirteen year old. To add to the image, small arcs of plasma energy were jumping around his body at random intervals, giving a look of power to the bespectacled young man.

Harry looked around the quidditch pitch, his eyes looking at every face there. He noticed that most were in complete shock, others were almost reverent in their expressions and actions, and some others were curious, most of these latter ones being the ever-studious Ravenclaw students.

Harry looked up when he somehow sensed the dark feel of the Dementors' energy. His eyes caught sight of several Dementors flying directly toward him, and subsequently, the quidditch pitch itself.

"Oh, no you don't," Harry muttered, immediately going into his 'battle mode'. He gathered his magic inside and around him, thrust his hands to the oncoming Dementor pack, brought up the memory of how he felt when Hermione had hugged him at the end of second year, and performed a spell that he had never learned but somehow knew.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Instead of the white wisps of light that the shocked teachers had expected when they heard the name, a massive wave of light blue energy erupted from Harry's body, going out in all directions at a rapid speed. When it hit the people in the stands, they felt... happier, lighter even, and more energetic, as if the wave of light were bringing out their happiness.

The effect on the Dementors was something else altogether.

As the first Dementor hit the wave of energy, it began disintegrating as the serene energy of the wave overwhelmed its body. The other Dementors barely noticed this, and by the time some had tried to turn away, several of the Dementors were no more than shredded pieces of black cloth in the rain.

As the last Dementor fell, Harry lowered his hands and sighed. He allowed his wings to remain in an arched position, thus softly floating down to the ground. Almost as soon as his feet touched the ground, however, Harry felt nearly all of the energy in his body leave him, and he staggered as he landed due to this. His wings became limp, and his eyes went back to their vivid green. With a small groan, he began to fall forward.

He was surprised when he felt three pairs of soft, gloved hands grab his body and prevent him from face-planting into the ground. He summoned the strength to look up, and drank in the sight of the three chasers of the Gryffindor team looking at him with something akin to reverence.

"Hey... girls..." Harry muttered before letting his head drop. "Do you think... you could get me to... the infirmary...?"

Alicia softly smiled as she threw one of Harry's arms around her shoulders and helped him up. Angelina took the other arm, helping to fully bring him up, while Katie trailed only slightly behind, keeping watch should anything happen.

"Gladly, Harry," Angelina said to him.

As the Gryffindor team gathered around him, he remembered something and motioned for Angelina to check his left hand. To the entire team's surprise, inside Harry's fist was the golden snitch!

"I caught it... while I was falling..." Harry chuckled lowly.

Katie shook her head and said, "Even when unconscious, his Seeker skills are still second to none."

The team laughed as Fred and George yelled out that Harry had captured the snitch, bringing the team to an outstanding victory. Oliver Wood went to show proof to Madame Hooch, who awarded Gryffindor the victory, bringing loud cheers from the supporters of the red and gold colours. The Gryffindor Seeker had heard none of it, however, as he was already in the locker rooms and well on his way to the Hospital Wing with the three chasers of the team.

As they travelled the halls of Hogwarts, Harry became slightly more aware of his surroundings. He conversed slightly with the girls as they went, doing some small talk while avoiding the subject of his transformation for as long as he could.

As soon as they had entered the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey came out to see what the issue was. She immediately recognized Harry, but had to do a double take when she noticed the large, white, folded wings sprouting from his back.

"What have you gotten yourself into this time Mr. Potter?" the matron asked in her no nonsense tone.

"To put it bluntly, I became an archangel," Harry responded, drawing looks of shock from the four females.

Shaking her head, Madam Pomfrey took Harry to a nearby bed and laid him on his stomach, as it would be uncomfortable for him to lay on his back. She cast some spells on him to determine what was the issue, then said, "It seems your body is fine, Harry. However, your magical core was almost completely depleted."

"I guess I'm not quite used to having full angelic abilities yet," Harry muttered, laying his head sideways and looking at Katie, who was sitting to his right on another bed. He gave her a wan smile, which she reciprocated with a small blush.

"These wings... they're extraordinary. They seem to have melded to your muscles flawlessly, as if you've had them for years. The muscles are all well maintained. In fact... all of your muscles are well maintained. You seem to have had a major growth spurt in the last few hours."

"I kind of did. Glad I don't have muscular atrophy or something," Harry said, closing his eyes for a second. Angelina and Alicia sat on either side of Katie and were about to start questioning Harry when the doors to the infirmary opened and Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Oliver, Harry's dorm mates, and professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Lupin all stepped in.

"Harry!" Hermione was the first to react, running to his limp form and hugging him for all he was worth. "You scared the living daylights out of me!"

Harry smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Mione, but there wasn't much I could do against Dementors before my transformation. I'd totally hug you back, but I sort of don't have any energy left to move a muscle."

Hermione blushed and moved back, sitting next to the Gryffindor Chasers.

"You gave us quite a fright there, mate," Ron said, standing on the other side of Harry's bed.

"Yeah, we thought you'd-"

"Died on us there, Harry. You probably-"

"Shouldn't do that again." Fred and George said.

"Like Katie said, Harry," Oliver said, "Your Seeker skills are present even when you're unconscious. We were losing the match, but your capture of the snitch catapulted us to the top of the championship."

"Thanks, guys. I'll try not to have any more near death experiences... although, trouble usually likes to follow me around like a lost puppy. "

Most people chuckled at this, while Hermione and Ron muttered 'Damn right' almost simultaneously.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Well, barring the whole 'no energy left to move a muscle with the exception of my brain' dilemma, fine and dandy, professor," Harry said cheekily.

Everyone, even the teachers, had to chuckle at his response.

"Harry," Professor Lupin said, "That was the most powerful Patronus Charm I have ever seen. Where did you learn how to perform it?"

"I must admit, I am rather curious about that as well," Dumbledore said.

"Well, it came with my new job, I suppose," Harry responded.

"What new job would this be?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes curious like a young child's.

"Like I told Madam Pomfrey, I have become something similar to an archangel," Harry responded seriously.

Everyone around his bed reacted with differing levels of shock and scepticism, so Harry asked one of the professors to erect a barrier to block all outgoing sound, which Professor McGonagall thoughtfully provided. With that in place, Harry was helped into a sitting position by Hermione and Ron, where he allowed his wings to stretch out so he wouldn't be too uncomfortable. He followed up by asking them all to swear a magical oath on their lives that they would not say any of what would be discussed inside the barrier to anyone. Some, like Dumbledore, McGonagall, Lupin, Katie, and Hermione took the oath instantly. The rest were a little wary of said oath, but eventually also took it, with Ron being the last one after a long glare from Hermione.

Finally, Harry described to them what had happened to him as he fell from his broom and towards the quidditch pitch. He explained to them about meeting the goddess, most of what she had explained to him, and his decision to serve her and become an archangel under her command. He explained that according to his new instinctual memories, his main goal was to find and destroy the six parts of Voldemort's soul that he had separated from his body before going after the final piece: Voldemort himself. Along the way, he was also tasked with stopping any evil he knew of, as a sort of side mission, per se.

After he had explained this, Harry looked directly at Dumbledore as everyone around him stared at him in shock and said, "Professor Dumbledore, when I mentioned the pieces of Voldemort's soul, I noticed a flash of recognition pass through your eyes, though you hid it well. Anything you'd like to share with us?"

Everyone looked at Harry with shock once again, but this time for a different reason.

Dumbledore sighed, having an internal debate for a moment. On one hand, he didn't want to tell Harry because he wanted him to enjoy his childhood a bit more, but on the other hand, the boy had already grown tremendously in the last few hours and withholding the information would only exacerbate any problems.

"Yes Harry, there is one thing. That which you told about is a rather dark branch of magic. The objects that his soul pieces are hidden in are called Horcruxes. Each is made right after the person using one commits the darkest of acts: the cold-blooded murder of another." Gasps followed his proclamation, while Harry merely narrowed his eyes.

"There's more, isn't there?" Harry said in a low voice.

Dumbledore was understandably surprised but nodded hesitantly and continued, "I believe I know what some of the Horcruxes may be, but have had no luck in locating any of them with the exception of one, which you handed to me after you had destroyed it, Harry."

Harry's eyes widened when he understood what Dumbledore was saying. "The diary?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed. I believe that I have correctly guessed what the rest also are..."

"Then tell us!" Harry exclaimed at the man, "Voldemort ***cue flinches from the gathered people except the professors*** is gaining strength even as we speak, and if we don't stop him, then he'll murder countless innocents, something that I cannot stand for!" A stray thought passed through Harry's mind when he noticed and felt Dumbledore's hesitant attitude, which made his eyes soften in understanding. "You're afraid, aren't you, Professor?" The question left everyone gaping, none more so than Dumbledore himself. "You're afraid to share this knowledge. Possibly to avoid an information leak, but more likely because you have done things on your own for a while and don't like to depend on others. Am I right, Professor?"

"How...?" Dumbledore left the question in the air, too surprised to even finish it.

Harry sighed and let his head fall back, leaning it against the headboard of the hospital bed. "My transformation gave me more than just fluffy wings and a new charm. I'm still trying to fully understand it, but I believe I can sense certain emotions and feelings as well. Such as the darkness that came from the Dementors on the quidditch pitch or..." Harry glanced at the four girls that were sitting to his right, but continued, "... Anyways, I could sense several conflicting emotions inside of you, Professor. Please, help us understand. You don't have to do things alone any longer. You have plenty of friends that are willing to help you with whatever you need. Furthermore, to beat Voldemort, we must work together."

By this point, Dumbledore's eyes were moist with unshed tears. The man took off his half-moon glasses and wiped them away with a smile. "You are correct, Harry, and I can't tell you how proud I feel at how you've grown." The man got serious again, the twinkle in his eye gone for now. "Listen up, then. I have looked through several memories of Voldemort's time as a child, teen, and adult, most of them my own, as I have had quite a bit of interaction with him. The way I have seen him act tells me that Tom was not a man that would store his soul into any random object. He was vain, and thus he would believe that his precious soul should reside in a place of importance. He was also quite taken with the castle and its founders during his time here in Hogwarts. Combining these facts suggests that he would use something related to the founders, perhaps even their personal items if he could get his hands on them. In terms of Gryffindor, the only known relic of Godric Gryffindor is his sword, which Harry gave to me last year and which has been sitting in my office all this time. I have checked it time and again, and I have not discovered any piece of Voldemort's soul. Through the memory of one Bob Ogden, I believe another Horcrux would be the locket of Slytherin, which had been in his family for a long time." He conjured an image of what the locket looked like, which everyone memorized to the best of their ability. "One other item I believe could be a Horcrux is the Gaunt Family ring, which I also saw Bob Ogden's memory. Unfortunately, I have not managed to locate any of these, and the other two Horcruxes remain a mystery as of now." Everyone nodded at the information, but were surprised when Dumbledore's eyes were filled with sadness. "However, I believe I have located one Horcrux, one that Tom did not intend to make."

"Well, what is it?" Hermione asked impatiently.

"Not what, but who," was Dumbledore's cryptic reply.

"You can make these Horcrux thingies from living people?" Ron asked.

"Yes. One can make a Horcrux out of almost anything, but it is not advisable to make one out of living creatures because if the creature dies, the soul dies as well," Dumbledore explained.

Harry's eyes widened as he finally understood Dumbledore's implications, and his whisper shocked everyone as well.

"Me."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, Harry, you. On the night of his attack on your home, the rebounded Killing Curse destroyed his body, but his soul remained. The murder of your parents had already shattered his soul, and one piece of it broke off and attached to the only living thing that remained in the house. Namely, you."

Harry was so shocked at the moment that he hardly registered when Hermione and Katie both hugged him tightly, quickly followed by Angelina and Alicia, all four of them crying. The twins and Ron looked sick, while Oliver was silent and somber. Professors Lupin and McGonagall were staring at Dumbledore in shock and sadness.

The mood remained so until a soft voice broke the silence. "Oh, pish posh, did you really think I'd let one of my most promising angels go around with that piece of darkness in his head?"

Everyone's head turned immediately towards the cot on Harry's right, where a barefoot black-and-blonde haired woman with teal eyes was sitting with her arms and legs crossed, looking at the group in amusement.

"V-Veronica?" Harry sputtered.

"Who else, Harry, my dear?" the now named goddess Veronica replied.

"B-but you told me you couldn't come to the mortal realm or something, hence me being an angel!"

"Yes, I did say that, but you see, the thing is..." Here, Veronica adopted a sheepish expression and rubbed the back of her head, "I sort of forgot to explain to you certain things I did to you make your job here slightly easier."

Everyone stared at the goddess with varying amounts of disbelief.

"What?! I know I'm a goddess but I'm not overly superhuman!" Veronica cried indignantly.

"So, how are you here now, then?" Harry asked with a massive, invisible sweatdrop hanging from the side of his head.

"Oh, I told the other gods of the problem after some berating, I was given the go-ahead and arrived just in time to hear Albus here call you a Horcrux, which I very happily denied, as you saw," Veronica explained with a smile.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the horses," Hermione exclaimed, "You're the goddess that Harry met and who gave him his angelic powers?"

"Why, yes, I am, young lady," Veronica replied.

"I... don't believe that," Hermione said stubbornly, "Prove it."

Veronica cocked her head to the side, not seeming at all offended by the question, instead saying, "Yes, I suppose by the standards that religions hold in your world and your studious nature that it would be difficult to accept the presence and work of a deity, but trust me, I am heavenly enough to know that keeping your silence on your feelings is only going to hurt him more in the long run, Hermione Jane Granger." As Hermione froze in shock, Veronica looked at the three Gryffindor Chasers and said, "The same applies to you three, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Katie Bell."

The four girls stared at the deity in complete shock while the males, with the exception of Dumbledore, looked on in confusion. McGonagall and Pomfrey were looking at the girls with a similar expectant look that Veronica was giving them, while Dumbledore chose to merely smile in understanding.

The silence was broken as all four girls said simultaneously, "You know?!"

Veronica chuckled and said, "I know that and much more!" She winked at the girls, who all blushed strongly as they understood what she meant.

"Alright, I believe you," Hermione said, "I've told that to no one, not even my parents. If you know, you're either a stalker or a deity."

"Same with us," the chasers said simultaneously, making Harry wonder if they weren't fraternal triplets.

"You know who we are?" Oliver asked.

"Oh yes, I know all of you," Veronica said happily, pointing out each person. "Ron Weasley, Fred and George Weasley, Oliver Wood, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore ***this she said in a sing-song voice* **Minerva McGonagall, and Poppy Pomfrey!"

Everyone looked at the woman with some modicum of surprise, but none more so than the twins, who immediately said, "She can-"

"-tell us apart! She really-"

"-is a goddess!"

Veronica laughed at the twins' speak. "Oh, I've always loved that for some reason!"

Fred and George laughed along with her.

"Now, listen up, Harry," Veronica started, getting serious. "I have done several things to your body to ease your job as an angel. First and foremost, I have altered your body so that you're at the peak condition for your age, as you no doubt noticed. Secondly, I have given you the ability to sense emotions. This ability is like any other, which you need to train in order to improve. At the moment, you can sense basic emotions like happiness, love, and fear, but also positivity and negativity in thoughts, such as the pure darkness you felt from the Dementors. And finally, I also slightly increased your mental capacity, adding some spells that you'll find useful once you train in them, such as the Patronus Charm you performed earlier, and increasing your general knowledge and skills, which I think you'll need. Every other ability I give you from here on out will also come with 'instructions', per se, in the form of memories, but you will have to train in them as I cannot award you physical experience."

Everyone stared at the goddess in palpable shock, with the exception of Harry, who was merely looking pensive.

"Alright, that was all I needed to explain, Harry, so I shall be going now," Veronica said with a wave.

Before she could leave, however, Hermione cried, "Wait!"

"What is it?" Veronica asked with her head cocked sideways.

"What am I supposed to do?" Hermione asked.

"Whatever your heart tells you," Veronica replied with a smile. "I will tell you this, however: He needs as much love as he can get, especially considering his status, and I know that he also has an almost unlimited amount of love to give if he is only given the chance."

With that, Veronica gave a wave of her hand and simply blinked out of existence.

"Well," began Harry, "That was interesting."

"Oi, Herms, what was she talking about?" Ron asked loudly.

Hermione growled at him and said, "First, I've told you to never call me Herms, and second, none of your business."

Ron turned red and was about to open his mouth when Harry looked at him and said, "Ron, drop it."

Ron and the twins looked at Harry with surprise. He hardly ever got in between a spat between Ron and Hermione.

"What Veronica talked about with her is hers alone. Neither you nor I nor anyone else has the right to know unless she wants to say it. So drop it."

Ron gave Harry a sceptic glance but relented and sat on the bed where Veronica had been sitting moments ago.

Harry felt a kiss on his cheek and, when he turned, saw Hermione leaning close to him with a small blush on her face and a wide smile.

"Thank you, Harry," she said fondly.

"No problem," Harry replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, "I realize that I usually let Ron push you around, something he should really grow out of." Everyone laughed as Ron sputtered incoherently before pouting and looking away with his arms crossed.

"Well, I think that's enough excitement for today," Dumbledore said with a clap of his hands. "What say we step out and let the sporting young man sleep? I daresay he has earned the right."

"If it's alright with you, Harry," Hermione said meekly, "I'd like to stay a bit longer."

Harry smiled and said, "Sure, I'd love that. Just don't take it personally if I knock out suddenly. I'm not fully sure what's keeping me awake but it might leave at any moment."

With a few goodbyes, most of the group left, the twins dragging Ron away and ignoring his protests. The last ones to leave were the chasers, who all grouped around Harry and gave him a group hug that sent his head into each of their cleavages, making him blush hotly when he realized that they were doing it on purpose if their Cheshire cat grins were anything to go by.

"Bye, Harry. Hope you recover soon," Katie said in a sultry voice, blowing him a kiss.

"Yeah, it would be a shame if you were stuck here for a long time," Alicia followed up in a similar tone of voice, winking at the increasingly reddening young man.

"Perhaps Madam Pomfrey would be willing to release you into our care soon," Angelina finished, completing the ensemble by running her hands up her thighs, past her stomach, over her breasts (slowly, mind you) and finally ending on her neck, her elbows pushing her breasts together.

They were having a load of fun teasing Harry, but weren't prepared when all the redness suddenly drained from Harry's face when he sighed in content. Harry, for his part, had just processed some experience he had never remembered having, and put it off to Veronica messing with his brain. With that in mind, he opened his eyes up to about three quarters, lifted one eyebrow, and gave the girls a lopsided, sultry smile that left their faces red and their knees wobbly. In his best deep voice, he said, "Oh, you can bet I wouldn't mind that. However, the question isn't how long I'll stay here but..." He slowly and sensually took his glasses off gave the girls a slow wink. "... If you can _handle _the new me at full strength once I get out."

The girls were left in stuttering messes, not having expected this left curve. Angelina was the first to recover and she reacted by grabbing Hermione's hand, saying something about girl talk, and proceeding to drag the other three girls out of the infirmary, leaving a laughing Harry in their wake.

The four girls stood outside the Hospital Wing, three of them breathing heavily while the fourth was stuck between being confused and annoyed at their previous antics.

"Oh Merlin..." Katie was the first to speak, "I don't know where this side of Harry came from, but that sexiness was almost overwhelming."

"He's certainly grown," Alicia responded, "In more than one way. The previous Harry would never have responded like that."

"Oi!" Hermione exclaimed, bringing the attention to her, "What was that all about?"

Angelina laughed lightly and said, "Oh, my, is someone jealous?"

Hermione blushed but vehemently shook her head.

"Don't try to lie, Hermione, it's unbecoming of you," Alicia said with a smirk. "Besides, taking into consideration what the goddess Veronica said, I have a feeling you _are _quite jealous."

Hermione groaned and threw her hands in the air. "Okay, yes, I am! I'm very bloody jealous that you can get a reaction like that out of him and I can't!"

The three other girls laughed and Katie asked, "Have you ever tried?"

Hermione drew short there and thought about it before realizing she hadn't actually teased Harry in such a manner.

"The reason why we can get Harry to react like that is because we've been teasing him since he first came into the team as a cute little boy," Alicia explained with a fond smile.

"You have to admit that he's gotten much better at resisting," Angelina commented.

"Well, right up until we drown him in our breasts," Katie laughed, causing the other two to laugh as well.

"Alright, enough of that," Hermione said, wanting to get rid of the mental image of a cute first-year Harry being surrounded by the chasers' breasts, "Now why did you drag me out here?"

"Oh, we wanted to talk to you about Harry," Katie said, getting serious.

"What about him?"

"Well, you see, around the start of this year, the three of us noticed that Harry was growing up quite well. He'd grown enough to match us in height, and had also matured quite a bit," Angelina explained.

"So," Alicia continued, "We decided to have a sort-of bet between us: that if one of us ever became Harry's girlfriend..."

"After some time, we could decide if we wanted to share him with the other girls," Katie finished with a flourish towards Angelina and Alicia.

Hermione found herself speechless at this. These three were actually _willing _to share Harry between the three of them?

"But..." Hermione sputtered, "Pardon me if I sound a bit childish, but I thought relationships entailed one man and one woman."

"Not necessarily, Hermione," Angelina said, raising a finger. "Relationships are never truly defined. It's merely assumed that it should only entail one man and one woman, but if two women wish to share the same man, who's to say they can't? Sure, it may be looked down upon by some people, but if their happiness depends on the approval of others, that's not a very happy relationship at all."

"Plus, we've been friends for a long time, even before we came to Hogwarts, since our parents are friends as well," Alicia explained. "We've grown together, laughed together, cried together, and even... experimented together." Hermione blushed at the thought. "So when we realised that we'd all developed crushes on the same guy, we found it would be terrible to break up a friendship over one guy."

"However, we were also more infatuated with him that we first thought, as we came to realise several nights ago," Katie followed up, "so we made the bet. We'd leave it in the hands of whoever Harry chose, and let them decide if they want to share Harry."

"Furthermore, well..." Here, a sombre mood overcame Angelina as she said, "We... tried to visit him once during the summer... Katie's parents work in the Ministry, so it wasn't too hard to get a hold of his address. But when we got there... we came to a horrible sight. Harry was being yelled at by his uncle, for what reason we couldn't fathom. Harry was simply standing there, not saying anything, simply looking defeated. And then, that fat _bastard _punched Harry, first in the stomach, then the face. He was just beating him up mercilessly, all the while yelling at him. I'm ashamed to say that we were simply rooted to the spot, not doing anything. We also saw his aunt and cousin, looking on in what seemed to be... glee. It was absolutely sickening. And when the bastard finally stopped and Harry came back into view, we couldn't stop crying. His entire face was bloodied and bruised, and he was practically coughing up blood. We were surprised his glasses had somehow stayed intact. And then... that man had the gall to tell Harry that he'd be doing a list of chores that would put any parents' to shame. And when we thought that this would be how he had grown up... Merlin, we just couldn't take it... But we ran... like cowards, we ran away when Harry needed us..."

By the end of the tale, all four girls were crying: the chasers at the terrible memory, and Hermione at the thought of anyone treating Harry with such brutality.

"Because of that, we promised ourselves that we would give Harry as much love as we could possibly give. We'd always be there for him. And that's a promise we shall never break!"

Hermione smiled tearfully at the girls, glad at their thoughtfulness and unshakeable devotion to Harry.

"Then I'll join in on the bet," Hermione decided.

"Huh?" The other three girls said in simultaneous disbelief.

"That's what you brought me out here for, wasn't it? Well, I accept. If Harry somehow sees me as good enough to be with him, I'll ask him after some time if he'd consider you three as well. Although, I will leave the decision to him."

"Wow... is it bad that I'd honestly thought we'd have to haggle with you for a while before you'd even think of accepting?" Katie asked, wiping the tear tracks away.

"Oh, come on, I'm not that bad... am I?" Hermione said.

The chasers giggled at her half question, and Angelina decided to allay her fears. "As for you somehow not being good enough for Harry, don't even think about that. We're the ones who would have to ask that, as you've been with him through thick and thin. I know for a fact he sees you as a girl and, more importantly, a rather attractive girl."

Hermione was taken aback by this statement. "He does?"

The three girls nodded with smiles on their faces. "Did you know that Harry talks to himself in the shower?" Katie asked.

"N-no, I didn't," Hermione stammered.

"Well, he does. Last year, we were about to leave the locker room after a practice section when we heard him," Alicia commented. "He said so many things. Things we would've never guessed."

"Did you know he has night terrors frequently?" Katie asked, sadness palpable in her voice.

"No... I didn't..." Hermione muttered, "Ron hasn't said anything about that, and Harry even less."

"He was talking to himself about the one he's had the most ever since he came to Hogwarts..."

Katie trailed off here, so Hermione urged her on.

"What is it?"

"It's... Well, it's about you. Apparently, he's always had nightmares about... losing you."

"Losing me? As in, me being killed?" Hermione asked in a choked voice.

"Yes, but not just that. He's also quite a bit about you turning your back on him," Angelina said solemnly, "He's dreamt about that a lot. It's his most frequent nightmare. It's always a different way, and the way he said it, it always left him crying when he woke up. But he never said a word, instead choosing to be quietly but very much relieved when he saw you the next day. We actually kept an eye on him the day after the training session, and when he came down for breakfast, I could see he was seriously tense. But then, as soon as you walked into the Great Hall and he saw you, all of that tension left him, and I could've sworn I saw the happiest smile I'd ever seen on his face appear, if only for a moment."

"Wow..." Hermione uttered. "But... why hasn't he told me? I would have helped him if he had."

"I think he had already started seeing you in a romantic light by that point in time, Hermione," Alicia said seriously, "But you have to remember that Harry has grown up with next to no love in his life. Love only appeared when he came to Hogwarts, and he always had to go back to that place after the term ended. I surmise that he has a lot of self-esteem issues that he tries to play off. He actually said in the shower that he wondered if you'd ever see him like that."

"Of course I do! Harry's a wonderful guy! He's loyal, nice, strong... everything about him is endearing! How could I not see him like that?" Hermione responded heatedly.

Katie laid a hand on her shoulder and asked, "But does _he _know that?"

Hermione shut herself up at the question and looked down in shame.

"You three aren't the only cowards," the bushy-haired Gryffindor said quietly.

"Perhaps not," Angelina said, "But now is not the time to look at the past. Now it's time to look at the future and prepare for it."

The other three girls nodded resolutely and Hermione said, "I better go back inside. Harry will probably think I left without telling him."

"Alright then. Remember the bet, Hermione," Katie said, already walking away.

"We'll let you know if anything new comes up," Alicia continued and, with that, the three girls left.

Steeling her resolve, Hermione pushed open the infirmary doors and walked inside, catching sight of Harry once again on his stomach and with his face in the pillow. When she retook her seat on the left side of his cot, he picked his head up and looked at her, then smiled. "Hey."

"Hey, Harry," Hermione said with a soft smile.

Harry let his head fall onto the pillow again, then said with a grin, "That's the longest girl talk I ever remember you having."

Hermione blushed and muttered, "Prat," while half-heartedly punching him on the shoulder. Harry laughed and simply continued to look at her with a smile, one that she reciprocated. Her attention was diverted when Harry's right wing came close to her and tickled her neck, making her laugh and push it away.

"Harry, stop it!" Hermione squealed.

Instead, however, Harry stretched his wing as far as it could go, wrapped it around Hermione's shoulders and back, and, with surprising strength, pull her towards him. With a yelp, the girl landed directly into Harry's open arms, whereupon Harry closed his arms and began tickling her mercilessly.

"No! HAHAHA HARRY! HAHA STOP, PLEASE!" Hermione exclaimed while laughing like a maniac.

After some second of fun, Harry relented and stopped tickling her, though he didn't release her. And Hermione didn't mind at all. On the contrary, she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his chest, drawing a chuckle from Harry, who wrapped his wings around her.

"When the heck did you get your strength back?" Hermione asked softly.

"About a minute ago, actually. Not sure what happened; my muscles simply said, 'Hey, we're up!'" Both of them laughed for a short while, then went back to comfortable silence. "So, what was that all about, if you're willing to share?" Harry asked a moment later, looking down at Hermione's content face. "I could sense a lot of emotions, from happiness to sadness to... something else I couldn't quite place."

"Oh, well..." Hermione thought about it for a long time and decided to hold back the information on the bet, but picked up her Gryffindor courage to ask him, "Why did you never tell me you had night terrors?"

Harry's eyes widened momentarily before he closed them and sighed. "I... didn't want to bother you. I felt like it was something I could handle on my own, and I can."

"Yes, but when it involves me, I'd like to know," Hermione said, surprising him once again before he sighed... again.

"Let me guess, the girls heard me during my shower after quidditch practice last year?" Harry asked, drawing a nod from Hermione. "I thought so."

Hermione smiled softly and brought her hands up to cup Harry's cheeks, making him look at her. "Harry, you don't ever have to worry about me dying, much less ever turning my back on you. I've stood with you for this long and that won't change anytime soon. I will always be next to you, that I can promise."

Harry's eyes filled with some tears, and he rubbed his eyes before tightening his winged hug on Hermione. "Thank you, Mione. Thank you so much. I promise you the same. I'll always be close to you, whether it's to be a study partner or a shoulder to cry on."

Hermione mustered up the courage to ask, "And as a... life partner?"

Harry looked at her with confusion, not understanding the meaning of her question, so, using her slight grip on his cheeks and bringing up the last of her courage, she leaned up and softly kissed his lips.

Harry's eyes widened at the sensation before he closed them and enjoyed the moment, pulling Hermione up slightly so their faces were even. With experience neither knew they had, they snogged for some time before they had to come up for air. It was at this point that they realised that Hermione was currently straddling him, a position that brought blushes to both of their faces.

"What I mean, Harry," Hermione asked, a little breathlessly, "is if you'd ever consider me as your girlfriend as well."

Harry stared at the bushy-haired girl, surprise clearly etched on his face. He stayed quiet for so long that Hermione was worried he'd refuse, but moments later he softly grabbed her cheeks surprised her by initiating a kiss, one into which she melded happily.

Once the kiss was broken moments later, Harry smiled at her and said, "I would be the happiest man alive to have you as my girlfriend, Hermione Granger."

Hermione grinned at him and, to his utter surprise, squealed and burrowed her head into his neck like a cat, which drew a chuckle out of him.

"It seems like your cat traits aren't fully gone, eh Hermione?" He asked cheekily.

Hermione sighed and responded with, "Let me have my fun, mister. I dreamed of this for some nights and it was better than I hoped."

Harry simply smiled and drew her closer to him, closing his wings over them like a protective blanket, which brought them warmth. With this position achieved, both Gryffindors eventually fell into a deep slumber, each one having a large grin before bed for once in their Hogwarts life, as the cold rain outside slowly came to a halt and left a glowing sun in its wake.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Hermione became aware of as she woke up the next day was that the warmth she had been clutching the whole night was no longer at her side. Instead, as her senses adjusted, she felt a little cold and could hear a voice grunting in effort while also counting up. Finally, her curiosity overcame her small desire to go back to bed and she opened her eyes and looked for the source of the voice. At the bottom of the bed, she could see what appeared to be two folded wings moving up and down rhythmically while the owner grunted, "86... 87... 88... 89..."

The bushy-haired Gryffindor turned around and crawled to the edge of the bed on her stomach only to be met with a most perplexing and equally arousing sight: her now-boyfriend Harry Potter doing push-ups on the floor, his muscles taut with effort and his skin covered by a thin sheen of sweat, both visible due to the fact that he was shirtless.

"97... 98... 99... 100!" With that, Harry opened his wings, unknowingly nearly hitting Hermione, and flapped them in order to pick himself up faster. When he was back on his feet, he folded his wings again and finally noticed his girlfriend laying on her stomach at the edge of the bed, her head laying on her crossed arms. "Morning, love!" he said with a grin.

"Morning to you too," Hermione responded with a smile, then frowned. "Why are you exercising? I thought that would be bad for you considering the weakening of your muscles yesterday."

Harry shrugged and said, "I dunno. When I woke up, my muscles were just fine, and I was in need of something to do. You know how antsy I get sometimes from staying still for too long."

Hermione nodded, moving to sit on the edge of the bed and letting loose a long yawn as she stretched.

"Boy, that was one of the best nights I've ever slept here at Hogwarts," Hermione said as her yawn ended.

"Tell me about it," Harry responded with a smile. "No nightmares."

Hermione smiled back and stood up in order to properly hug Harry, who chuckled and hugged her back with both his arms and his wings, which was becoming something of an automatic movement with him.

Hermione's nose wrinkled and she pushed Harry away while jokingly saying, "You might be an archangel now Harry, but you still stink!"

Harry laughed and said, "I guess that comes from doing a hundred push-ups in the morning, don't you think?"

Hermione smiled and said, "Yeah, probably."

"Alright then," Harry said, clapping his hands, "How about we eat something? I dunno about you, but I'm starving."

"What time is it?" Hermione asked, looking around.

Harry's eyes homed in on a clock hanging over the doors of the Hospital Wing and subsequently widened. In an overly dramatic voice, he said, "Sweet Veronica in Heaven, it's five in the morning!"

Hermione gave him a deadpan look, to which he scratched the back of his head in an embarrassed manner.

"Regardless, that's pretty early," Hermione muttered. "Breakfast won't be served for another hour."

"Then, how about we do this?" Harry proposed. "You head back to the Common Room and prepare yourself for the day. I'll take a shower here, get Madam Pomfrey to let me out, and we'll meet up at the Great Hall at breakfast time."

Hermione smiled and said, "That sounds like a fine plan, love." With a final, long kiss, she grabbed her things and walked out with a continuous swing of her hips, which made her bum appear even more tantalizing to Harry.

"Oh man," Harry said, looking down at his pants, "That girl's going to be the death of me."

Without another word, he turned, grabbed a towel from the storage closet nearby, and walked to the Hospital Wing's bathroom, whereupon he ran into a snag.

"How the hell am I supposed to shower with these wings?!"

**_0o0o0o0o0o0_**

Hermione walked with a skip in her step over to the Gryffindor Common Room, giving the password to the portrait of the Fat Lady, who smiled knowingly at her and gave her a wink. Hermione blushed and quickly walked in, going up the steps to the third-year girls' dormitory and quietly gathering her things before going into the shower.

Once inside, she did her normal morning routine of washing herself in every corner before rising out the soap and then just sitting on the shower floor, using the time to think. Being normally the first one up every morning, she had ample time to simply sit and mediate without the other girls asking for her to hurry. She thought about what had transpired in the last twenty-four hours and had to say that she was happy at this turn of events. Harry had finally gotten the help he needed since he had been stuck in the house of that horrible Dursley family, and now he had not one, but _four _girls who only wanted his happiness. She had to admit that a small part of her was jealous at the thought of sharing her boyfriend with the other three girls, but her logical mind squashed that thought when she remembered three things: the chasers had willingly shared their knowledge about Harry with her, a level of trust that they weren't under obligation to share; the goddess had been correct in the fact that Harry needed as much love as he could get; and ultimately, she had willingly agreed to the bet between the girls and was under no actual obligation to share him if she didn't want to, although she had been telling the entire truth when she said she'd consult with Harry before making a decision.

Finally, she got up and turned off the water, then walked out and dried herself before pouting on her normal uniform, sans the bulky Hogwarts robe, which she hung on a nearby hook for the moment while she brushed her teeth.

**_0o0o0o0o0o0_**

"Ah, that was refreshing," Harry commented as he exited the bathroom, running the towel over his hair. His wings were bedraggled with water, each of the feathers dripping continuously. "Now, let's see..." He attempted to put a towel over his wings but it just wouldn't stay due to the movement of the wings. He didn't know any drying charms, and Madam Pomfrey was nowhere in sight.

"Having trouble, Mr. Potter?"

Never mind.

"Actually, yes. I can't, for the life of me, reach behind me to dry my wings, and I don't want to blast them open and flood the Hospital Wing."

Pomfrey chuckled in amusement and waved her wand. Immediately, Harry felt his wings warm up and the water on them evaporate, leaving them freshly white.

"Ah, magic," Harry said wistfully, drawing another chuckle from Poppy. "Now, am I allowed to go, Madam Pomfrey? I want to have breakfast with my lovely girlfriend."

"Oh?" Pomfrey said, feigning shock. "And who is this girlfriend you speak of, Mr. Potter? I've never seen one in all the times I've treated you."

"Why, Miss Hermione Granger, of course," Harry said with a grin, going along with the act. "I asked her just last night, and it was the most glorious night of my life so far."

"Oh, dear, you must share with me the details!" Pomfrey said in mock excitement.

"Now, now, my dear," Harry shook his head, clucking his tongue, "that would be kissing and telling!"

Both healer and patient burst out in gales of laughter, which took some time to subside. When the chuckles finally did, Pomfrey waved her wand and ran a diagnostic charm on him, which produced some colours that Pomfrey seemed to read like a piece of paper.

"Well, your body's intact, without any breakage or problems. However, I am seeing some lactic acid left in your muscles, possibly for some..." Pomfrey fixed Harry with a critical eye, "morning exercise?"

Harry chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you know me, Madam Pomfrey. I'm not one to sit still for long, and I felt well enough to work out a bit."

"So I see," Pomfrey said. "Besides that, you're just fine, so you're free to go, but I advice against any... angelic activities for some time. You never know if you might end up worse."

With a serious nod, Harry put on his quidditch robes from yesterday and raced out of the Hospital Wing, automatically moving his wings so that the flowing air wouldn't hold him back. He was surprised at how much lighter his body felt, so much so that he laughed as he increased his speed, taking stairs three by three. At one of the turning staircases, he was emboldened enough to jump over the railing and use his wings to throw himself onto the next floor before gunning it once again and finally coming to rest in front of the Fat Lady.

"Hello, Miss Lady," Harry said cheekily to the moving portrait.

"Hello to you too, Mr. Potter," the Fat Lady answered back with a smile. "Just what are you doing coming to the Common Room so early?"

"Oh, you know, Quidditch accidents, supernatural beings, and just about everything else that's normal for my life." _Both_ archangel and portrait laughed. "Now... Oh, cripes, I forgot the password..."

"I'll let you in just this once, Harry," the Fat Lady said with a smile. "Just remember, it's _Mimbulus Mimbletonia._"

"Good to know, miss... You know, I never actually got your name in the last three years I've been here," Harry said.

"It's actually Jessica," the now-named Jessica said primly.

"Duly noted," Harry said with a nod and a smile. Without further ado, he walked upstairs and quietly slid inside the boys' dormitory. He needn't have bothered, as Ron's snores easily masked the sound of his footsteps. Harry dug out a quick outfit from his suitcase, consisting of a plain white shirt, black slacks, and a Gryffindor tie. He quickly threw on his underwear and socks before putting on the pants and shoes, but ran into a snag with the shirt. Exactly how was he supposed to fit his wings inside _that_?

Almost as if to answer his query, Harry heard the shuffling of feet to his left with his slightly enhanced hearing. Turning to the noise, he found none other than a house elf quietly sneaking around and picking up dirty clothes from the floor. It seemed to notice Harry looking at it, for it also looked up and locked eyes with the angel.

"Excuse me," Harry said in a polite tone, "could you help me with something?"

The elf looked surprised at the way Harry addressed it but came forward nonetheless and bowed slightly, asking, "How cans Dipsy be of help?"

Harry moved so that the wings on his back were visible to the elf, whose eyes widened in shock. "I need to put this on, but I can't with the wings on my back. Is it possible you could cut a hole on the back of my shirt that could let me let them out?"

"Dipsy can do better, Dipsy can!" the elf, undoubtedly female, replied happily but in a low tone. With a snap of her fingers, two holes appeared on the back of Harry's shirt, hardly large enough to fit an arm inside. Harry looked at the elf in confusion, but she merely signalled for him to put on his shirt. Shrugging, Harry did so, slipping the shirt over his head and also his wings with some effort. The powerful wings easily ripped through the shirt, making the holes much larger than they originally were. Harry looked at the elf for more instructions but suddenly felt the shirt begin to close over the single, gaping hole that had been ripped on it closing up slowly before it completely covered his back again,. The only exceptions were two holes that ran tightly but not uncomfortably around the small area where the wings met his back.

"Dipsy, what did you do?" Harry asked curiously.

"Dipsy put a self fixing charm on yous shirt, Dipsy does! The holes fix themselves over times," the elf said excitedly.

Harry smiled at the little creature and knelt at her eye level before putting a hand on her head. "Dipsy, that's absolutely brilliant! Thank you so much. If it's not too much trouble, could you do the same to the rest of my shirts and my robes as well?"

"Dipsy does right now, she does!" With a snap of her fingers, Harry's trunk, as well as the Gryffindor-coloured robe that was on the bed, glowed a misty white before fading away completely.

"'Tis done, sir," Dipsy said.

Harry gave the creature a hug, surprising her. "Thank you so much. You're a lifesaver."

The elf giggled and popped away. With a smile, Harry put on his Gryffindor robe and let the wings out through the back before grabbing his school bag and walking out, down to the Common Room, which was still surprisingly empty. Harry looked at the clock nearby and was surprised to see it was only 6:48 am. No wonder most people were still asleep. He assumed that Hermione had either already gone down to the Great Hall or hadn't come down yet. With a small shrug, he walked out of the Common Room, said goodbye to Jessica, and began walking to the Great Hall.

**_0o0o0o0o0o0_**

As soon as he got to the big doors leading to the Hall, Harry could pick up a few chattering voices. Thinking, _'no time like the present,' _he squared his shoulders and pushed one of the doors open.

Many heads turned to look at him, and immediately all talking ceased. Not feeling too unnerved by the quiet atmosphere, he walked down the aisle to his usual spot on the Gryffindor table and sat down, waving at Dumbledore and McGonagall, who both gave him nods and smiles in return. Turning to his plate, he picked some pieces of bacon, eggs, toast, and a liberal amount of jam, then began to eat, calmly and without rush, as he had no need for speed.

Slowly, the chatting around the Hall started up again, this time more subdued and about a different topic. Whether for good or bad, nearly everyone in the Great Hall, which amounted to about twenty students and seven teachers, were talking about the Angelic-Boy-who-Lived.

Harry was done with his breakfast quite quickly, and had just put away the last bite of bacon when the double doors opened again and in came Hermione, all washed up and with hair in a ponytail. Behind her were her dorm mates Parvati and Lavender, both as normally good-looking as they always were. Hermione's eyes easily homed in on Harry's form, due to his special attributes and the fact that he was one of the two Gryffindors at the table, the other being Percy Weasley, who was still eating his porridge and kept sneaking semi-surreptitious glances at Harry. The bushy-haired Gryffindor bookworm walked up to Harry, with Lavender and Parvati following semi-consciously, and swooped down to plant a searing kiss on Harry's lips, which once again sent the Great Hall into deafening silence.

"Morning, love," Hermione said happily, smacking and licking her lips. "Bacon... Nice choice."

Harry chuckled and motioned for her to sit to his left, moving his wings so that she had plenty of room. Parvati and Lavender shook off their shock and quickly sat to the left of Hermione, planning to grill her for gossip, but were interrupted by the arrival of the Gryffindor Chasers, who stood behind Harry and Hermione with predatory smiles.

"Look who we have here, ladies," Katie said conspicuously.

Harry smiled, which went unnoticed by the chasers as they couldn't see his face. "Good morning, ladies."

"Good morning to you too, Mister Potter," Angelina said, mimicking McGonagall's voice.

Harry laughed. "It's almost like you're related, the way you can mimic her voice so well, Angie."

The nickname drew Angelina short, surprising her into silence, so Alicia picked up the slack. "I see Madam Pomfrey saw fit to release you from the Wing."

"Yep. I'm completely healed, and none the worse for wear," Harry said, half-turning his head to meet each of the girls' eyes, although his eyes were only level with their breasts, as they were still standing, and quite close to Harry at that. In fact, if he moved his wings by only a millimetre...

Harry smirked deviously and slightly turned his body so that he could introduce Hermione to them as his girlfriend, but also intentionally moved his wings so that the crest of his left one and the outermost feathers of his right one would lightly graze each of their breast tips. He wasn't expecting them to overly react or even register the touch, but what he did not know was that the chasers were wearing polo shirts with the Gryffindor logo, and nothing more. They had all agreed to not wear bras today in order to further tease Harry and perhaps get a rise out of him, not knowing that Hermione had already claimed him. Thus, when his wings lightly grazed their breasts, the girls definitely felt it, and all three had to forcefully hold back a moan of pleasure due to the roughness of the polo fabric and the counter-softness of Harry's feathers.

Harry nonetheless heard the low moans they barely held back and mentally smirked in triumph. Finally facing Hermione, he waved in her direction and said to them in a conspiratory whisper, "I want you to say hello to your girl talk mate, my best lady friend and now girlfriend, Hermione Granger."

Silence greeted his low declaration. Hermione was half looking at him, a piece of toast halfway to her mouth. The other three girls were looking between Harry and Hermione. Harry looked between the girls with a slight smirk.

"Harry, move down! Girl talk time!" Katie said in a no-nonsense tone.

Harry shrugged and moved down, whereupon the three girls immediately sat around Hermione, Angelina and Alicia to her left, and Katie to her right.

"Jeez, Hermione, you work really quick!" Angelina said.

"I know! We hardly talked about the bet yesterday and you're already his girlfriend? Details, girl, give us details!" Katie followed up from her left.

Hermione couldn't contain the almost smug smile that appeared at their words. Calmly, she recounted what happened the night before after they had parted ways. She explained how she and Harry had talked a little, then Harry's actions toward her and how he had practically thrown her onto him and cuddled with her. She also explained about how she asked Harry to be his life partner, and the kiss they had shared, culminating in them sleeping together (and only sleeping, she stressed), and the following morning when she woke up to the sight of a shirtless and lightly sweaty Harry Potter finishing up one hundred push-ups.

"That... was the most arousing sight I have ever woken up to," Hermione whispered to them. "He looked so hot... and his muscles were... _are_... so defined..."

The chasers all sighed at the romance the two shared and at the mental image Hermione had unknowingly put in their minds.

Meanwhile, slightly away from the foursome, Harry started drinking from his cup of orange juice to hide his wide smirk. He had heard every word that Hermione and the chasers had said, and was saying nothing in response. The truth is that he had also heard their entire girl talk the day before due to his super-enhanced senses. He was surprised to be able to hear them talking, and despite the fact that their voices sounded no higher than whispers, he was still able to clearly define who was who based on the way they talked, which he had memorized. He had felt terrible at the fact that Katie, Angelina, and Alicia had seen him get beaten by his uncle, but had then felt elated at their promise to never leave his side. With how few friends he had in his childhood, he treasured those who stuck by him more than life itself.

When he heard about their bet, he had been floored. The three girls were willing to share him between themselves? He had asked himself the same question Hermione had asked them about relationships being a twosome, but had also been reassured about Angelina's explanation. At that point, he had felt his heart flutter in happiness at the declaration from them that they'd give him all the love they could. He felt he didn't deserve any of them, that he was unworthy of being loved so much. But... if they were truly willing to share him between them, then he'd do his best to return their love tenfold.

He had almost let slip to Hermione that he knew when she came back in, but then remembered that the chasers had mentioned wanting to surprise him. So he wisely held his tongue, instead deciding to play around with Hermione a bit. In his mind, he had already chosen Hermione out of the four, and merely hadn't gathered the guts to ask her to be his girlfriend. But now they were a couple, and Harry could safely say that he could probably make an even stronger Patronus than the one he performed yesterday at the Quidditch pitch.

"Mate?"

That word brought Harry back to the present in time to notice Ron sit in front of him and begin to spear everything edible nearby. Ron's appearance brought to Harry's mind a not-so-happy thought: how would Ron react to their relationship?

Ron, it seems, decided to get the ball rolling. "So what was that all about yesterday, Harry? Was that entire thing with Veronica true?"

Harry sighed and pointed behind him, at his wings. "Isn't this proof enough for you?"

"Not really. You could've just transfigured them," Ron said dismissively.

"Ron," Harry sighed again, "even if I am an archangel, I'm still miles away from human transfiguration. Besides, unless you forgot, McGonagall said to us that human transfiguration is really hard."

"Well, I don't believe it," Ron said stubbornly. "Why would you just suddenly get picked by a goddess to find You-Know-Who? Why not pick someone like Dumbledore?"

Harry was about to reply in annoyance when he decided against it. Ron smirked, thinking he had caught Harry, but instead Harry rested his cheek on his left hand and looked away, saying, "You know what, forget it. I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise. If you don't want to believe me, that's your own problem. I don't see why you wouldn't believe me, considering I've never lied before, but have it your way. Hermione, at least, gave me the benefit of the doubt before outright calling me a liar."

Ron was stumped at Harry's response, but picked up on that last comment.

"Yeah," Ron laughed, "but Herms would believe anything you say, mate."

"That's where you're wrong," Harry responded, still looking away but acutely aware that the Gryffindors close to them began to listen in on their conversation, Hermione and the chasers especially. "Based on how often you've begged her to do your homework or to let you copy off of hers, I would've thought you'd know her better. _Hermione _doesn't believe anything outright, much like she didn't believe Veronica was a goddess yesterday. But she believed me because she knows I'd never lie, especially to her."

"With how you stand up for her, Harry, I'd almost think Hermione's your girlfriend," Dean Thomas said from Ron's left, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

Harry regarded him with a small smirk before replying two simple words.

"She is."

The area around them went deathly quiet for a moment before Harry's dorm mates, with the obvious exception of Ron, either congratulated him or asked him what he saw in her. The girls, on the other hand, looked at Hermione with either jealousy or admiration. Harry noted with a frown that Ron's younger sister Ginny was giving Hermione a glare that could kill if given the chance.

"I see quite a few things in her," Harry said in response to the ones who asked. "She's loyal, since she's stood by me these last three years. She's a great friend, funny, incredibly smart, gorgeous, and to top it all off... She likes me just as much as I like her. If that doesn't constitute a relationship, I don't know what does."

A pair of arms wrapped around his neck from behind, the owner being Hermione, who had stood from her seat and nestled herself between his wings, placing her head on his right shoulder. "Aww, thank you, Harry, but for the record, I'm sure I love you more than you love me."

"Oh, no, let's not start this," Harry said lightly, turning his head to kiss her cheek. "I've seen plenty of times where this goes, so let's just say we love each other a lot, eh?"

Hermione giggled and responded with a simple, "Fine by me!"

A clatter of cutlery in front of them made Harry's head snap forward. Ron had thrown his fork down onto his plate and stormed out of the Great Hall, his sister Ginny hot on his heels.

"That... can't be good," Neville said.

"Ah, that's his problem," Hermione said shortly.

Harry poked Hermione's ribs in order to move her away, making her jerk back. He used the opportunity to stand up, stretching his arms. A moment later, however, a snide voice behind him made him freeze in position.

"Well, look at this, boys. It's the resident chicken of Hogwarts. I always knew you were one, but you didn't have to make it so obvious, Potter."

Harry didn't respond to Draco's taunt right away. He simply let his arms drop slowly. The victorious smirk on Malfoy's face dropped when Harry suddenly said, "Did you hear anything, 'Mione? I could have sworn I heard a squeak, like a tiny rat or something."

Hermione giggled and responded, "I didn't hear anything, Harry. Are you sure your hearing isn't broken?"

Harry looked around in mock suspicion before turning and looking at Malfoy with surprise. "Oh, it was probably you, Malfoy. You always do squeal like a rat."

Malfoy ground his teeth against each other in frustration.

"Then again," Harry continued in an almost oblivious tone, "It should be expected, considering you come from rats and you'll most likely also breed rats. I guess it must be a family tradition, no?"

"Don't you dare insult my family, Potter," Malfoy hissed venomously.

"I don't see you doing anything to prove me wrong, _Draco,_" Harry replied in a condescending tone.

Malfoy snapped at this and dug out his wand, aiming it at Harry and with a spell on his lips, his two ever-present goons repeating his actions. Hermione was about to pull out her own wand, but Harry held his hand up, stopping her. Everyone in the Great Hall watched the standoff, with Malfoy and his goons on one end, all three with wands drawn and pointed at both Harry and Hermione; and the newest couple of Gryffindor on the other end, Hermione eyeing the three Slytherins warily while Harry merely looked on in disinterest.

"Not so tough now, are you, Potter?" Malfoy said with a sneer. "I heard you earlier, by the way, about how you were dating the mudblood whore. I have to say, I expected better from you. Half-blood you may be, but even they should know better than to associate with such filth. Mudbloods like Granger are nothing more than playthings, to be used by upstanding pure-bloods before being cast to the wind like they should. Maybe she'd be a good little whore for me and my pals. What do you think, Crabbe, Goyle?" The two brutish Slytherins grinned maliciously and nodded.

Hermione had descended farther and farther into tears as Malfoy's insults continued, and by the end she was prepared to run away from the Great Hall. When Malfoy said she'd be a good whore for him and his goons, she turned away and was about to bolt when a hand softly grabbed her left one. She turned in surprise to regard Harry, who had not taken his eyes off of the three Slytherins but had reached out and grabbed her wrist to prevent her from running. In shock, she noticed that many of the Gryffindors nearby had stood up and were pointing their wands at the trio, who didn't look as sure of themselves as before, especially with the triple glare that Angelina, Alicia, and Katie were shooting them.

Almost imperceptibly quickly, Harry's wing snapped snapped open and slapped Malfoy's hand, making the wand in it fly off. The wing continued and slapped Draco's chest and face, making the boy flip backwards and crash onto his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle. The blonde groaned and was about to stand back on his feet when a shadow covered him and he looked up in fright at Harry's serious visage.

"Listen to me closely, _Draco_," Harry said, "I will not take your shite any longer. You want to come after me, then do so, and you'll learn what the word regret means. You go after my loved ones, especially Hermione, and you'll find out that you won't have time for regret before I feed your corpse to a swarm of flesh-eating beetles. This is your only warning."

"My father will hear about this, Potter," Malfoy spit out, the quivering in his voice evident.

Harry grinned dangerously. "Your father won't be able to do squat. And you know why? Because..."

Harry moved closer to the trio and his smile widened.

"... He's one of the first ones that's going to follow his master to hell."

"I think that's quite enough, Potter."

Harry straightened up and looked directly into the eyes of Severus Snape, who was now standing behind the trio of Slytherins and was towering over them, piercing Harry with a glare.

"Not when he threatens the ones I love, it isn't, _professor_."

"I didn't hear any threats from Mr. Malfoy. You, on the other hand… Twenty points from Gryffindor for threatening a student, twenty more for attacking him, fifty more for threatening his noble family, and ten points for every student who pointed a wand at Mr. Malfoy."

Several shouts of anger rang out at this, as the point counter for Gryffindor was going to drop by a total of one hundred and fifty points, since six Gryffindors had stood in Hermione's defence. From behind Harry, however, an equally strong voice replied, "I do not think so, Severus."

Professor McGonagall had snuck behind Harry in her animagus form and turned back at this exact moment, rooting Snape to the spot with her glare.

"While your ears might not have caught it, I distinctly heard Mr. Malfoy here say several unpleasant things toward a girl who did not ask for any of it," the Head of Gryffindor said in a clipped tone. "Therefore, I will deduct twenty points from Slytherin for instigating a fight; twenty from each of these three for unnecessarily drawing a wand and pointing it at two unarmed students; twenty more points for calling Miss Granger a mudblood; _forty _points for insinuating she, to use the colloquial term, 'sleeps around'; and finally, fifty points for threatening a student with turning her into a sex slave based on her heritage." McGonagall had been civil for most of the point deductions, but by the end she had dropped the charade and was actively glaring at the three Slytherins and their Head of House.

The Gryffindors around her, as well as the rest of the Great Hall, were staring at McGonagall in shock and awe. The only exceptions were Harry, who was looking at the Transfiguration professor with a thankful smile; Snape, who looked like he had swallowed an incredibly sour candy and could have given McGonagall a heart attack if looks allowed; and finally, Professors Dumbledore, Sprout, and Flitwick, who had nodded along with everything McGonagall had said.

"If we may be excused, Professor McGonagall?" Harry asked politely to break the silence.

"You may, Mister Potter," McGonagall responded with a smile.

Harry's grip on Hermione's hand tightened as he led her out of the Great Hall, nearly crashing with Ron and Ginny as they returned from… wherever they had gone. While not angry at the two, Harry and Hermione were nonetheless cautious, as they didn't want to deal with the infamous Weasley temper, which these two had in loads. While Ginny was still glaring at Hermione, Ron was more focused on the scene happening inside the Great Hall: Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle flat on their arses, with Snape standing behind them, glaring at McGonagall, who was standing triumphantly in the middle row, while the rest of the houses just stared.

"Harry…" Ron said tentatively, "What the bloody hell happened in there?"

"Well, in a nutshell, Malfoy was being his usual arse self, belittling Hermione and I, but mainly 'Mione; he pulled a wand, I retaliated, Snape took off a hundred and fifty points, McGonagall came in, and countered by taking off a hundred and ninety points off Slytherin."

Both Weasleys stared at the duo in surprise and were about to question them when Harry said, "We have to get going, catch you guys later!"

With that, Harry grabbed pulled Hermione with him up the stairs. On the way, Harry distinctly noticed that Hermione was far too quiet. By now, she'd be asking relentlessly where in the world they were going. Harry looked back at the girl and noted that she was looking down, pensive and almost on autopilot. He frowned in concern and continued.

After several minutes, they reached Harry's intended destination: the Astronomy Tower. Hermione finally got her bearings enough to ask, "What are we doing here, Harry?"

Harry turned to regard her. "We're here because I thought you might need some clear air, away from idiots like Malfoy and his ilk."

Hermione sighed. "Its fine, Harry, I won't let it get it to me."

"Now both you and I know that's not true, 'Mione," Harry said seriously. "I can tell you're upset, as much as you don't want to admit it."

Hermione looked down in shame. Harry, having none of that, grabbed her chin and softly brought her head up so their eyes could meet.

"Do you know why Malfoy says the things he does?" Harry asked rhetorically. Hermione didn't answer, so he continued. "He's jealous, that's why." Hermione's eyes widened. "Yes, he was brought up thinking that muggle-born people are lower than scum, but as time went on here in Hogwarts, he realised that you constantly outperformed him in everything. He's of _'noble class'_, yet you're always the smartest, the wittiest, and the most powerful. You're a great woman, Hermione, and don't let anyone, whether they be muggle or magical, tell you otherwise."

Hermione's eyes watered as a massive warmth erupted from her chest, all focused on the wonderful angel that was in front of her. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him, an action he reciprocated softly and lovingly. After a few minutes of snogging, they separated, gasping for air, at which point Hermione laid her head on his chest (absently noting that he was several inches taller than she was) and said, "Thank you. Thank you so much, Harry. You have no idea how much those words mean to me. For the longest time, I always believed I was average, and even ugly, because the only compliments I ever got were from my parents. But they'd say I was beautiful even if I had just woken up the morning after a drunk party." Both teens chuckled at that. Hermione looked up and smiled genuinely at Harry. "So, thank you, love. For making me feel like a beautiful person."

Harry smiled and said, "That's what I'm here for, besides loving you, of course." Hermione's smile widened, but just as quickly dimmed when Harry's smile became mischievous. A small amount of dread filled her as she asked, "Harry? What are you planning?"

"Well, I didn't bring you up here just to compliment you," Harry said cryptically. Hermione was confused until she saw Harry's wings open fully, the feathers waving about in the slightly chilly air.

Then she put it all together: up on the Astronomy Tower, on a slightly windy day, and Harry was holding on to her and had opened his wings…

"Oh, no! Harry, don't you dare! HAAAAAARRRRRRYYYYYYY!"

The final scream was rather shrill, as Harry had pumped his wings and, with an insane grin, jumped off the edge of the Astronomy Tower!

Hermione yelled as they fell, instantly grabbing tightly onto Harry. She could feel the wind whipping at their robes, indicating that they were falling at a rather high speed, and her mind began to throw her images of all the ways that they would splatter on the ground like a pair of missiles. But soon, the wind began to slow and change direction. At the same time, she could feel herself turning, or, more appropriately, Harry turning in mid-air. She still kept her eyes stubbornly shut, even when she heard the powerful flaps of Harry's wings and felt the wind brush past her face softly.

"Hermione," Harry practically cooed in her ear, "Open your eyes, love. Come on…"

Against her logical mind, Hermione decided to relent and slowly opened her eyes. The image that greeted her left her speechless.

Since it was still early morning, the sun hadn't fully risen yet. Therefore, she was greeted with the marvellous sight of Hogwarts castle in all its glory as it was bathed in the morning glow. She could see everything perfectly from their altitude, and, more importantly, could feel Harry's arms firmly secured around her midsection, pressing her body against his.

She smiled brightly at the feeling of weightlessness and opened her arms, laughing in giddiness as she imagined herself flying over the castle like a bird. Harry smiled as he watched her indulge in the childish fantasy, figuring that she might not have had much as a child. He perfectly tilted his wings so that they banked left and right around the spires of the castle, coming close enough for his feathers to brush the bricks and mortar, before doing a few loop-de-loops and figure eights that had Hermione screaming in both joy and fear.

Finally, after several minutes of flying, Harry decided to end the trip and began a slightly steep descent. Hermione yelped as she saw the ground approaching quickly, but sighed in relief when she felt Harry stop himself several feet from the ground and softly float them down to the grass. Harry didn't let go of her when they landed, and she basked in the feeling of calmness that spread inside her body as they stood under the morning sun, with Harry's arms wrapped around her waist from behind and his wings wrapped around them protectively.

This… this was what peace was. This was what they were studying for… what they were fighting for.

"I hope we can have more mornings like this," Hermione said in a low voice, turning her head so she could meet Harry's eyes. A wan smile was plastered on her face, one she couldn't get rid of.

"I'll take you to the skies anytime you want, love," Harry said with a similar smile. "As for the mornings, I do too. I do too…"

Harry slowly moved his head down and captured Hermione's lips with his own, putting all of his love and attraction for the bushy-haired Gryffindor in it. Hermione moaned in appreciation and kissed back, moving her left hand up to Harry's head and sinking it into Harry's unruly hair.

The kiss didn't last as long as the pre-flight one, but it was tenderer, more loving. It was just what both of them needed before the day started.

As the kiss ended, Harry glanced at his watch and said, "You know, it's nearly eight. We're going to be late to Transfiguration."

Hermione jumped in surprise and immediately began to run back to the castle, dragging her laughing boyfriend by the hand.

**_0o0o0o0o0o0_**

From a window on the third floor, the trio of Gryffindor chasers had seen the interaction between Harry and Hermione, and after much cooing and giggling at the romantic sight, they had walked back to the Common Room and sat on a sofa side by side.

"Man, Harry is so romantic…" Katie said wistfully.

"I know, right? Veronica really did a number on him. He seems… much more mature now, but with a childish streak still in him," Angelina mused.

Alicia leaned back and laid her head on the sofa's backing. "I hope Hermione chooses to share him. I swear, I don't think I'd survive, watching those two be so loving towards one another."

"I know what you mean, Lish," Katie said, using Alicia's nickname jokingly. "And also, with his muscular upgrade and angel abilities, how… _big _do you think he is?"

"Katie!" Alicia and Angelina said in simultaneous shock.

"Oh, come on," Katie said with an eye roll, "You can't tell me you haven't thought about it."

The other two chasers blushed in sync. They actually _had_ thought about it… more often than they were willing to admit.

"So?" Katie asked expectantly. "What do you think?"

"I'm not making any assumptions," Alicia said.

"Neither am I," Angelina replied.

"Psh, you two are such wimps," Katie said with a laugh, making the two blush again.

"Well, truthfully, I don't think we have to guess," Alicia said with a small smirk, drawing the attention of the other two.

"Why do you say that?" Katie asked.

Angelina, however, seemed to catch on to Alicia's train of thought, and immediately smirked as well. "You're thinking about asking Hermione to find out, aren't you?"

"Why, I would never!" Alicia said in mock shock. Katie and Angelina looked at her disbelievingly. "Okay, yes, I am thinking of doing that."

"Well, with the way the relationship's going, she's bound to find out soon. I know they're both young, but they're also hormonal teens, the angel side of Harry notwithstanding," Angelina mused.

"So it's decided then?" Katie asked for clarification.

"It's decided," Angelina and Alicia said simultaneously.

With three devious smirks, the girls got their heads together in order to figure out what to do.

**_0o0o0o0o0o0_**

Double meanwhile, in the second year female dorms of Gryffindor…

"That bookworm thinks she can steal _my_ Harry?! No way! I won't let her! He's supposed to be mine, and mine alone!" Ginny screamed in the empty dorm room. "She must have bewitched him… She's a bookworm, of course she'd know how to make something like a love potion… I have to find a way to break him out of it! He loves me! ME!"

**_0o0o0o0o0o0_**

Triple meanwhile, Veronica sat in a forest clearing, her back against a tree and a crystal glass floating in front of her. On it, a three-dimensional map of the magical areas of Britain and Europe sat, showing her places where life and death were happening real time. There were so many black and white dots that she could hardly keep up with them, but she managed. She moved her forces accordingly, making plans for bringing her angels together. She could feel a war coming, and she didn't like the implications of it.

"Looks like Harry's going to have to grow up quickly," Veronica sighed. Truth be told, she hadn't brought an angel as young as Harry under her command in several hundred years, but the state of affairs in both Magical and Non-Magical Britain had forced her hand. She refocused on the map ahead of her and zoomed in on the area around Hogwarts. She could see a small, light mass moving slowly around the castle, as if looking for something. She recognised the name instantly.

"Sirius Black, huh?" Veronica mused. "I'll have to find a way for him and Harry to meet sometime soon." Two black masses in one of the Hogwarts towers caught her attention, and she noted with some dread that it was in the Gryffindor Common Room. Two names appeared over them.

**_Ginny Weasley_**

**_Peter Pettigrew_**

"Curses, I almost forgot that the traitor is still alive!" Veronica exclaimed. "I have to warn Harry soon. As for Ginny… Hermione will have to watch her back…"

The goddess continued making plans as the day in her clearing slowly began to bleed into night.

**_0o0o0o0o0o0_**

As the relationship between Harry and Hermione blossoms, trouble is brewing. What will Harry and Hermione do against a jealous fangirl, several murderers, and the souls of the darkest man in a century?


End file.
